Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli
Yields 4 servings
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 thick slices pancetta, about half-inch thick each, diced
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme with several sprigs on it
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
1 medium onion, chunked
2 small carrots, chunked
4 rib celery, chunked
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
2 15-ounce cans butter beans, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 box rigatoni
Grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese, for the table
Crusty bread, for mopping
Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and pancetta and brown pancetta bits lightly. Add herbs, bay leaf, vegetables and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes and stock to the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid bubble and add the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook soup for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is cooked to al dente, stirring occasionally.
Remove the stems and bay leaf from soup and let it rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Place the pot on a trivet on the table so the hot pot does not burn your table, then ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of cheese and another little drizzle of olive oil. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.
Sea Bass with Herb Butter & Frisee Salad
Sea Bass with Herb Butter & Frisee Salad
Yields 4 servings
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 sea bass fillets (about 6-ounces each), small bones removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick of butter
5 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and roughly chopped
10 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
10 whole radishes
1 large shallot, finely minced
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 large heads frisee lettuce (use escarole if frisee is not available)
Crusty bread for serving at the table
Preheat broiler to high. Drizzle a cookie sheet with a little bit of olive oil and spread it out evenly across the surface of the pan. Arrange the sea bass fillets skin side down on the cookie sheet and season with some salt and pepper. Give the top of the fish fillet a little drizzle of olive oil and transfer to the broiler, leaving about 4 inches between the fish and the heating element. Broil the fish for about 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.
While the fish is broiling, make the herb butter and the salad: Place a small sauce pot over low heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, season it with a little salt and pepper and add the chopped herbs.
For the salad, thinly slice all the radishes, arrange them in stacks and then thinly slice again, yielding thin little sticks.
For the dressing, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar and some salt and pepper in the bottom of a salad bowl. Pour in the 1/3 of a cup of olive oil in slow, steady stream while whisking to combine. Add the frisee and the radishes to the bowl and toss to combine.
To serve, arrange the cooked sea bass on dinner plates and pour some of the herb butter over the top. Serve the salad and some crusty bread alongside.
Roasted Mussels
Roasted Mussels
Recipe courtesy of Sam Hayward of Fore Street
2 pounds fresh blue mussels, de-bearded and rinsed
1 1/2 ounces whole almonds, skin on
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 tablespoons dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil leaves
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Crusty bread, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven and roast until fragrant, about 5 minutes; let cool. Coarsely chop almonds by hand or pulse in a food processor.
Place a 5 1/4 quart nonreactive cast-iron roasting pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and cook until melted. Add shallots and garlic, cooking until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Toss in herbs and almonds; season with salt and pepper.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Arrange mussels in the roasting pan in no more than two even layers. Cut remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter into pieces and place over mussels. Transfer to oven and roast, tossing mussels to coat, every 3 to 4 minutes, until mussels have opened and sauce is creamy. Serve immediately with bread for dipping.
Scampi Verde
Scampi Verde
Yields 4 servings
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup arugula leaves, packed
12 to 15 blades of chives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 large cloves garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 packages fresh linguine, found in the refrigerator section
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cold butter
1 loaf of crusty bread
Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. Place the basil, parsley, arugula, chives, 1/2 cup chicken stock, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor or blender, pulse to grind into a rough paste. Reserve. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 4 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 4 tablespoons. Add the shrimp and spread them out in an even layer.
While the shrimp are cooking, smash, peel and chop up the garlic or use the small side of a grater and grate it to speed things up. Add garlic to the skillet along with the crushed red pepper flakes. Toss to combine, season with some salt and pepper and continue to cook the shrimp for about 4 minutes. Once you have the shrimp going, add some salt to the boiling water along with the pasta. Cook until al dente according to package directions, about 3 minutes or so. Add the white wine to the skillet, cook for 1 minute, then add the reserved ground herb mixture, cold butter and lemon juice to the shrimp skillet.
Before draining the pasta remove about a half a cup cooking water and add to the shrimp skillet. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine with the shrimp and the sauce, stirring until the butter has melted. Serve the scampi verde with some crusty bread alongside.
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